


Five Years Down the Line

by houdini74



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Committed Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 07:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17824760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houdini74/pseuds/houdini74
Summary: After the failed dating experiment with Ken, Patrick can't get David's words out of his head. Takes place the day after S5E06 "Rock On."





	Five Years Down the Line

Patrick found the half empty box of candles the next morning when he was doing his pre-opening walkthrough at the store.

He could laugh about it, now that the rollercoaster of the day before was over and he’d woken up safely in David’s arms. Where he belonged, he thought firmly.

He would never forget the sense of relief he’d felt when David had wrapped his arms around him last night and refused to let him go. Only David, he thought to himself, could persuade him to set up a date with another guy on the pretense that it would make their relationship stronger and actually have it work out that way. But it was David’s words from yesterday morning that were running on a loop through Patrick’s mind. 

_“Five years down the line, five years down the line, five years...”_

Ever since the cookie incident at last year’s barbeque, Patrick had backed off on marking milestones and talking about the future with David. He thought about it all the time, but he’d been careful, resisting his impulses to talk about their future, instead letting David set the pace of how their relationship developed.

But...it was twice now that David had, without any prompting, talked about a future with Patrick. Hence the words that Patrick couldn’t get out of his head.

_“Five years down the line...”_

He picked up the box and took it back into the store room where David was sorting through a selection of hand knit hats that had just come in from a new supplier. David grimaced slightly when he saw the box of candles, but he happily wrapped his arms around Patrick and kissed him thoroughly.

“I’m going to the Cafe, do you want your usual?” Patrick asked, once David allowed him to speak.

“Mmmm, yes please.”

Patrick gave his order to Twyla and looked around while he waited for her to prepare David’s complicated coffee order. Across the restaurant, he spotted Alexis sitting at a table near the window. 

“Patrick!” she exclaimed, “Come sit.” She tapped the tabletop with a couple of perfectly manicured nails.

Patrick liked Alexis, but as with all of the other members of the Rose family, he found her a bit overwhelming one on one. Last night, he’d been so intent on David that he’d barely registered her presence in the motel room, but now he felt awkward.

“Um...hi...” He pulled out a chair from the table and sat, hoping that Twyla was quick with the coffee order.

“Listen, Patrick,” Alexis reached out and grabbed Patrick’s hand. “I know what you must be thinking. You’re wondering if David is planning to set you up with someone else.”

“Well, I wasn’t wondering that before now.”

“And the answer to that is no, he probably won’t do that again. But,” Alexis tapped the table with her free hand, “he will probably find some other way to mess up your relationship.”

“Alexis, I appreciate your advice, but..”

“Look, here’s the thing you need to know. Everything in your relationship is a brand new journey for David. He won’t mean to, but from time to time he’s going to eff it up,” Alexis squeezed his hand before continuing.

“It’s like what I said to Selena Gomez after her fourth break-up with Justin Bieber, just because he goes drag racing at three in the morning, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you.”

“Okay…?” Patrick was relieved to see that Twyla was finally headed towards their table.

Twyla set the two to-go cups and a smoothie down on the table. 

“Alexis, we didn’t have the mangoes or the coconut milk, so I added some mango syrup from the coffee bar and some of the flaked coconut that we put in our cookies.’ Patrick winced, glad that he’d only ordered tea as Alexis continued.

“Remember, Patrick,” Alexis had finally released his hand to take a drink of her smoothie. “David can only mess this up if you let him.”

“Thanks for the...um...help, Alexis,” Patrick picked up his tea and David’s coffee and headed back to the store.

He set the two cups on the front counter. Ironically, David was helping a customer with the candles that Patrick had set out yesterday. Patrick leaned on the counter and watched them, David’s words from yesterday echoing in his mind again.

_“Five years...”_

David’s customer approached the counter, several candles in her hands. Patrick rang up her purchase and turned to hand David his coffee. David took it and set it back down on the counter. He placed his hand at the back of Patrick’s neck and kissed him so gently that Patrick could barely feel David’s lips on his.

“I meant what I said yesterday,” David said quietly.

“Which part?” Patrick asked teasingly, “The part where you told me to date other guys? Or the part about the woman who wanted the soap?”

“No, the part where we’re together five years from now.” Patrick could see what this honesty was costing David, but David kept his eyes fixed on Patrick’s.

“Sometimes, my ability to sabotage things gets in the way of the things I should say,” David continued. “And I wanted you to know that I do want us to be together in five years so that you’ll remember the next time I mess things up.”

This time it was Patrick who pulled David into an embrace. Like last night, David held him tightly, his arms wrapped around Patrick’s shoulders. 

“I meant what I said, too,” Patrick replied, after a moment. “I really do love you.”

“And,” he added, “I really did hate those square-toed shoes.”


End file.
